Your Boss’ Gender May Affect Your Health

“Your boss can be bad for your health, especially if you share the same gender, and especially if both of you are women. This is the latest finding on the topic published in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

According to the study, migraines, backaches and heartburn were among the physical ailments that can result due to stress from a superior.

The combination of a female boss and a female subordinate ironically proved to be the most stressful, moreso than a male subordinate, male superior combo or one with a female boss and male subordinate.

One reason for the “unpredicted” anxiety of a female boss and subordinate combo is the assumption that there will be more empathy from the higher-up, when in actuality, a female boss may not respond positively to tears and/or may be overly demanding.

Despite women’s lib and the ongoing fight for equality in the workplace, the study reveals, ironically, that some women somehow feel more secure with a male superior, more confident that he has things under control.”